Zapier and Project Management: The Perfect Match

Zapier and Project Management: The Perfect Match

When tackling any project, there are always numerous tools involved. There are often different apps and software for different purposes.

If there is one thing any project manager wishes for, it’s productivity. And productivity is much easier to achieve with automation. Why? Because it saves time. There’s less stuff to do manually, but also there’s less room for Human error.

Zapier aims to bring to the market true and seamless automation. And they’ve proven it by adding all the apps you work with in one place. There are thousands of Zapier integrations. All you have to do is create your Zaps, and you’ve freed up hours of your time. But what are Zaps, and why is Zapier so great for project management? Let’s delve deeper into that.

How Does Zapier Work?

Zapier is a web-based automation tool for integrating various software programs and web services. It automates mundane tasks by linking together two or more apps. This happens without needing to write any code or hire engineers.

In order to fully understand how Zapier works, we need to go through some of their terminology. Here are the most important terms you should know:

Trigger

This is what sets everything in motion. On Zapier, any action/task begins with a “Trigger”. There is a wide range of Triggers that Zapier supports, for example:

  • A new message in your inbox;
  • A new response to your form;
  • A new entry in a spreadsheet;
  • A new event in your calendar.

The list goes on, but you get the general idea. A Trigger is what prompts you (or, in this case, Zapier) to begin working on a task. You won’t create a Trello card and assign it to the team, for example, unless a new client has filled in a form for your services.

Action

The term "Action" is used in Zapier to describe the steps taken when a Trigger event occurs. It represents the consequence you hope to produce if a Trigger is activated. Depending on the functionalities of the linked apps, Actions can take many forms.

Task

A Task in Zapier is an Activity that has been completed by your Zap. Take the case of adding new contacts to Google. The process of adding a contact using your Zap counts as a single Action. The number of contacts made thanks to the Zap is equivalent to the number of Actions finished, aka Tasks. Using this Task-based approach, you can monitor your Zap’s completed Actions. This gives you a concrete indicator of its efficiency.

Zap

A Zap encompasses all the previous terms. Triggers, Actions, and Tasks all work together to create a Zap.

A "Zap" is a predefined, self-executing sequence of Actions between two services or applications. There is a Trigger and an Action (or more) in every Zap. Once activated, your Zap will carry out the predetermined Actions whenever the Trigger event happens.

Let’s Exemplify

Let’s gain a more holistic view of how Zapier works to fully understand these terms.

Let’s take Asana as our illustration. Asana is a popular project management app used to coordinate team efforts and stay on top of to-do lists. You set up a Zap in Zapier to run whenever a new task is created in Asana for a certain project. In this example, the initiation of a new task serves as the Trigger.

Zapier allows you to configure a chain of Activities to be carried out if a Trigger event happens. If you use a team chat service like Slack, you can have Zapier send out alerts to everyone on your team about the new Asana assignment. You can also keep tabs on the task's development or delegate it to a particular member of the team. All you need to do is ask Zapier to edit a record in your CRM software, such as Salesforce.

Every time the Actions are successfully carried out, a Task is completed. A Task, in this example, is the alert being sent out on Slack based on Asana updates. This is just one small example though. Zapier integrations are more numerous than you can imagine – we’re talking 5000+. It’s almost unimaginable what you can do with this power of automation.

What Zapier Has Been Testing Out

Project management is made much easier with Zaps. The only thing that could add to the advantages of Zapier is an AI tool. Thankfully, they know, and they gave us just that! Alongside a couple of other useful additions that can make this project management tool even more powerful.

Zapier knows that the best way to sell its product is to let you try it out in all its glory. For that reason, when you sign up you are met with a 14-day free trial that requires no credit card. A short introduction about your company, your work, and preferred apps, and you’re free to automate.

The AI features are still in beta, but they’re free to try during the trial. Let’s talk about what Zapier currently has in store:

Automate Zap Creation With AI

The AI tool to turn Zapier from good to great. When you sign in for the free trial, this is the first thing you are greeted with. It makes this tool that much easier to use. All you need to do is describe in plain English what Zap you need to be created, and AI does it for you. The default text in the text box describes it perfectly: “When X happens, do Y, then do Z”. Click generate, and your workflow is automated. It’s that simple!

Code with AI

This feature won’t be waiting for you in the free trial, or on your paid plan if you already work with Zapier. To access it, you will need to sign up for the Early Access Program. It’s free of charge and allows you to be a part of the development process. You can give feedback and suggestions to the team about their beta features.

If you do decide to sign up, then Code with AI will automatically produce JavaScript or Python for your Zap. In the Code stage, you can tell AI what you want to do and it will write the code for you. A dream come true for all of us out there who never really had coding at heart.

Zapier Tables

We’re back into the realm of features that you can test out with the free trial. This isn’t an AI feature, but it’s still an impressive addition to the tool. Tables is an automated database management system. You can use it to save, modify, and retrieve the information your Zaps require. You can also share your tables with others on your team.

Zapier Interfaces

With Zapier Interfaces, you can create forms, websites, and simple apps that integrate OpenAI's GPT through a chatbot. Build anything in minutes, no coding required.

Use it to create user interfaces that facilitate lead generation, client portals, chatbots, and other business processes. Join them with your existing Zaps and information.

Final Thoughts on Zapier

When first reading about Zapier, it can sound complicated. There are thousands of apps and millions of possible combinations between them that create a Zap. However, the moment you actually open your Dashboard, it all becomes clear. Zapier has succeeded not only at creating a powerful tool but also in making it user-friendly. Once the AI features are out of beta, this project management tool will be hard to compete with.